Naruto and the Triforce of Courage!
by Occupational Hazard
Summary: AU NarutoZelda crossover. Naruto returns from his three year training only to be immediately sent on a mission to an unknown land.
1. Enter: Triforce of Energy!

AN: Man, I'm slow. Sorry guys, I spent more time than I should have rewriting this chapter. It's just been bothering me lately. You should take note that I've changed and added a couple of quirks here and there. Like the updated Legend and the new quote segment. Each chapter I'll be taking a quote from the famous LoZ:OoT! At the end of the chapter, I'll give a short explanation of the quote (or I might just leave a hint) in the author's notes, so look out for that. Now READ!

Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Zelda. I do, however, take credit for this fanfiction.

Legend:  
Text - normal text  
"Text" - normal dialogue  
'Text' - thoughts/thinking  
:Text: - onomatopoeia  
_Text_ - emphasis  
**Text** - dominating presence (Kyubi, another biju, Inner Sakura, etc.)  
(Text) - author's notes  
ēēēēē  
Text - flashback/dream  
ēēēēē

"I overheard this…  
They say that Princess Zelda's nanny is actually one of the Sheikah, who many thought had died out."

- Gossip Stone

Chapter1: Enter: Triforce of Energy!

'Stars are nice too, but I like clouds better.'

Such thoughts could come from none other than Nara Shikamaru. A brilliant ninja whose potential could easily reach those stars he's currently staring at (metaphorically speaking). Unfortunately he'd rather stare at the sky than perform his 'troublesome' tasks such as night watch. If he was, then he would've noticed a strange phenomenon occurring almost directly in front of him.

Glitter seemed to be concentrating on a specific spot a few meters away from the genius. It was falling slowly to the ground in a wide array of colors that Shikamaru would have probably described as 'girly'. Shortly after the phenomenon started, a soft dreamlike sound drifted from seemingly nowhere that could have reminded one of wind chimes. Only once Shikamaru heard the lulling sound did he bother to take a look at what was happening in front of him.

Strange enough, where the 'glitter' once was, stood a young woman, around the same age as the prodigy in front of her (fifteen). She was elegantly dressed in what could easily be fit for a princess of some powerful country. The dress she wore was mostly a soft pink and purple with a symbol, in a few choice spots, that consisted of three triangles connecting at the tips to form one. Because of the inefficient light, Shikamaru couldn't tell what the dress was made of, but of course, he didn't care.

'She's obviously not a ninja, but she was somehow able to sneak up on me without my noticing. And with that dress she's wearing, I should have been able to hear her a long way off. This woman may be a bit troublesome.'

Said woman started walking, with a grace and maturity unlike others her age, toward Shikamaru with a curious look on her face. As she got closer, the Nara was able to make out her facial features: blue eyes (from what he could tell with the light), delicately shaped chin, pointy ears, and long blonde hair that reached a couple inches below her shoulders. She wasn't very tall, probably could reach Shikamaru's chin with her eyes, but she was definitely developed.

She gave the Nara a once over that made him feel he was being judged. He was standing lazily with his hands in his pockets watching her for any threatening movements. His headband and jacket gave away the obvious; he was a high level ninja from Konoha. His dark eyes didn't seem to show much care that a strange woman in formal attire 'snuck up' on him without his notice.

"State your name and business." Shikamaru decided to break the silence and get his duty over with.

"My name is Zelda Harkinian, princess of Hyrule, and I wish to speak with Konoha's leader." The woman replied with dignity and purpose.

"You're gonna hafta do better than that, Princess." Without a hint of respect toward her position, Nara continued his task. "What is it that you wish to speak with Hokage-sama about?"

"I wish to hire ninja from this village to assist in the capture of a bounty head in Hyrule."

"Right this way, Princess." Not really glad that he was being forced by priority away from his stargazing.

They walked through Konohagakure toward the Hokage Tower, where they would probably find a sleeping Tsunade neglecting her paperwork.

"Is Tsunade-sama here?" The pair had reached the Hokage Tower and Tsunade's assistant and apprentice, Shizune, was sitting at the receptionist's desk.

"Yes, she should be in her office." Shizune automatically replied.

Shikamaru led Zelda down a hallway to a door that read "Leave me alone - 5th Hokage". He ignored the sign and opened the door to discover an alert and very much awake Tsunade.

'That's strange…' Noted Shikamaru. 'Tsunade-sama shouldn't be up. Unless…'

"Are you Princess Zelda?" The Fifth Hokage inquired.

"Yes, I am Princess Zelda Harkinian of Hyrule. We have a problem that we believe would best be handled by ninjas, preferably ninjas from Konoha." Zelda's response was swift and brief, but lacked detail.

"I understood as much, but what exactly is the problem? Why travel halfway across the globe just to get us?" (Konoha is to Hyrule as the North Pole is to the South Pole)

"Our sources have discovered that our problem was originally from Konohagakure. The threat that he is posing is too high to take any chances. So we assumed it would be best to counter an outside threat with outside assistance. In addition, it is my belief that he is your problem as well."

"He?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

vvv

Upon hearing the name of the target, Konoha's Hokage had immediately agreed. She gave Zelda permission to stay the night in Konoha, so that Tsunade could prepare a team the next day. After sending Shikamaru to lead Zelda to a decent hotel, Tsunade contemplated on her thoughts… but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Tsunade was met with brief surprise as she watched Shikamaru walk into her office.

"Why are you not escorting Zelda? That was a direct order, Shikamaru."

"Gomen nasai, Tsunade-sama. But… there was something that was bothering me, so I had Shizune take my place."

"Oh? It must be important. What do you want?"

"Why was I not informed of Zelda's arrival? You wouldn't have been awake unless there was an emergency, you were drinking, or you were expecting a visitor. And you knew Zelda's name without her telling you."

":grumble: Perceptive as always. :grumble: I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Shikamaru, but a couple of minutes is hardly enough time to prepare, let alone send a message to the gatekeeper jounins."

"Minutes?"

"Yes, Zelda arrived via teleportation, and I received her message through telepathy while I was asleep. That princess seems to have some uncanny powers and abilities; you will need to be careful."

"As I suspected, you're sending me on this mission, how troublesome. Anyway, why would I need to be wary of our employer?"

"Actually, I'm glad you came by. This is the perfect time to inform you…"

vvv

Knock, knock. Tsunade was awake, but she had no desire to perform any of her Hokage duties just yet. The sun had risen only an hour ago anyway. Knock, knock. Whoever was at her door obviously didn't know how to read her sign so she didn't feel that a person with that lack of intellect was worth the trouble of getting up. A muffled "Kuso" was all Tsunade heard before her door was slammed open and the persistent bugger made themselves known.

"I'm back, Tsunade-baa-chan!" Needless to say, Tsunade knocked the living ramen out of the long absent Uzumaki Naruto. "Ouch! What was that for Baa-chan! I thought you'd be happy to see me!"

"Actually, seeing you gives me a headache, you woke me up too early, and after all these years you still call me an old lady. You should have expected as much."

Once she was done with her explanation she hugged Naruto with all the strength her old age would allow (without using chakra of course, she wanted to hurt him, not kill him). Naruto, now thoroughly confused, pulled out of the hug so he could breathe and began scratching the back of his neck out of habit.

The sight that stood before the proud Hokage would prove only to add to her building pride. Naruto had gotten tall, so tall, in fact, that he was looking down on Tsunade. His orange and black outfit reflected growth in maturity, and at the same time, it showed how little Naruto changed. The evidence was in his shocking blue eyes. He was still the same loud, overconfident, head-first, future-Hokage he was before he left Konoha for his training. This was going to be fun.

"Heh heh, so how've you been Baa-chan? I trust you've kept Konoha in good condition. I don't want to have to pick up after your mess when I become Hokage, ya know."

"I don't think you should be worrying about that until _after_ you become Hokage. And I should be the one asking the questions here. How has your training been? You haven't picked up any of Jiraiya's habits have you? Where is the sick bastard?"

"Ero-Sannin? I think he said he was going to go 'information gathering'. There's no way I picked up any of his perverted habits. I was always either too busy training or saving his tail from all the trouble he gets in with his 'hobbies'. Oh, that's right, my training! You should see how strong I've gotten! I can't wait to show you my stuff."

"Great, I'll give you a chance right away. How would you like to go on your first A-class mission with old friends?" Not exactly what Naruto expected, not to mention what came next. "What's with the shock? You should be thankful Naruto-kun; your teammates happen to be two attractive kunoichis that have both missed you very much."

"Really!? Who?"

"Oh just Sakura and Hina- hey! I thought you said you didn't pick up any of Jiraiya's habits!?" Tsunade's killer intent could have altered the Hokage monument. "Watch what you say next, baka, it could very well determine your manhood."

Much to my surprise, Naruto's expression couldn't have been further from fear. He seemed more… irritated? "Hey don't get me wrong, ya old hag! I just wanted to kn-"

(:sigh: Naruto no Baka. You've probably already guessed it; he's currently being strangled to death by none other than the Godaime. :sigh: I can't kill off one of my main characters in the first chap now can I? Looks like I'm gonna have to save him.)

Just before Naruto ran completely out of breath, there was a lifesaving knock at the door. On the other side of that door stood a pink-haired, teenage girl holding several medical files to her chest. As she allowed herself into the office, she was reading a file that she had apparent interest in. However, when she stole a glance around the office, she lost her grip and her files fell to the floor in a neat heap. Naruto registered the shock in her emerald eyes and a smile lit his face.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan! You just saved m-oof!"

Poor Naruto, even Sakura's beating up on him. In her nurse outfit, too. Isn't she supposed to be saving peoples' lives?

'Whyyyyyyyy!? I didn't even do anything that time!'

'**It was probably your face. Sometimes I want to break out of this seal, JUST to smack that stupid look off your face.**'

"Aaaaahhhh! That felt good! I haven't been able to do that in YEARS!" Sakura said while stretching and cracking her knuckles. Tsunade was just laughing.

"Che, forget this! I'm gonna go look for someone who WON'T smack me as soon as I show up!" Naruto announced as he picked himself off the floor.

"Good luck." Sakura and Tsunade replied in unison.

Naruto headed to one of the windows and threw something outside.

"I'm pretty sure Hinata-chan won't hit me. I'll go bring her here. See ya later… Oneechan." With that, he jumped out the window and in a yellow flash, he was gone.

"Wow…" Sakura whispered.

"What?" Tsunade questioned her apprentice.

"It's just that… Naruto's grown a lot."

"He sure has… for the record, we're both talking about his height, right?"

"Yep."

vvv

Naruto had visited the Hyuuga mansion only to find that Hinata was not home. As one who hates the silence, Naruto started talking to himself, only to be interrupted…

"Heh heh, I bet Sakura-chan and Tsunade-baa-chan were really surprised! I must've looked so cool using that jutsu!"

'**Nope.**'

'Shut it! No one asked you!' "Now where could Hinata-chan be? I guess I could use Kage Bunshin and search Konoha." 'What do you think, Kitsune no Baka?'

'**Waste of chakra.**'

"Which doesn't matter to me. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Several Narutos started popping into place and they spread out across Konoha in search of Naruto's soon-to-be teammate.

The real Naruto, being slightly hungry (maybe that was an understatement), went to hang out at Ichiraku's Ramen to fill up. As luck would have it, that's exactly where he found Hinata. Calling off his bunshins, he sat next to her, trying to surprise her. She was staring absent-mindedly into her ramen bowl, idly playing with its contents, not even eating it. He took this time to study her.

She was wearing a bigger jacket that was able to cover her hands had she not folded the sleeves back. Her duck-butt hairstyle hadn't changed (constant haircuts?), but her mood certainly had. He couldn't see her face since she was staring at her ramen, but her slouched form gave away that she was… 'Depressed?' Naruto thought. Usually she was quiet and red in the face, but she never gave off the impression that she was depressed. Naruto thought that his return might lift her spirits a bit. He was always uncomfortable when others were depressed; he tended to make tough promises just to cheer them up. That doesn't mean that they were empty promises, they just put Naruto through a bit of extra strain.

'Why do I keep coming here? Oh, right. This place smells like him.' She sighed. 'Konoha just isn't as bright without him. Why did he have to leave?' I wonder who Hinata's thinking about...

"Ten orders of ramen, please!"

'_He_ used to order that much. If he were here right now, he'd know how to cheer me up. Actually, just him being here would cheer me up.'

"Wha-?" Ichiraku (I'm assuming that's his name) was very surprised to get an order like that. It had been nearly three years since anyone ordered that much. To his delight, he saw that his number one customer, Naruto, was back. "What'll it be Uzumaki!"

"Surprise me."

"Coming right up!"

'Funny, I thought I heard Uzumaki called out. Uzumaki? Naruto-kun!'

Hinata tore her eyes away from her ramen and her tiny jaw dropped when she saw who she was sitting next to. There just wasn't anyone else that those shocking blue eyes, that wide feral grin, or those adorable whisker birthmarks could have belonged to. She was staring at Naruto with obvious shock, and when he turned to face her, he was finally able to register her facial features. She aged a little, but she still looked adorable and innocent. Her surprised face and saucer-wide, snowflake eyes only added to her cuteness.

"Haha! You should see the look on your face, Hinata!"

Upon hearing his voice she snapped back to reality and a smile broke out on her face.

"Naruto's back!" For an instant, she forgot to stutter.

She tackled him off his seat and hugged him for all she was worth. Reassuring herself that this was not a dream and that Naruto was really back. Now it was Naruto's turn to look surprised, of all the people he expected to tackle him in a hug (Tsunade and Sakura), the only one that did was Hinata.

'How gentle.' Naruto thought with a laugh.

Realizing what she had just done, she stood up so quickly blood rushed to her head. Normally, her shy nature wouldn't have allowed her to do anything like that, but she was just too overjoyed that her Naruto-kun was back. She started apologizing profusely all the while stuttering and trying to help Naruto up.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan. You were just happy to see me, right?"

"Yes, o-of course, Naruto-kun." She blushed slightly at the title he had given her, but it wasn't anything near as embarrassing as the tackle-hug she just gave him.

"It's a good thing I found you here, you're needed on a mission. You should head to the Hokage Tower so Tsunade-baa-chan can fill you in." After stating this, Naruto noticed a sudden drop in Hinata's attitude, 'she was just happy a minute ago, what now!' "What's wrong, Hinata-chan?"

"Oh, it's n-nothing, N-Naruto-kun." She hadn't even tried to put on a smile.

"Nothing my ass! Hinata-chan, if you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm gonna…" He glanced around, not really knowing what to threaten Hinata with. "…. I'm gonna eat your ramen!" Brilliant.

Hinata giggled, feeling a bit better at Naruto's concern she tried to be open with him, "Ano, it's just… y-you just got back, and n-now… I'm gonna l-leave on a mission."

"Heh heh, don't worry Hinata-chan. You'll be seeing so much of me, you'll get sick of it!" Naruto reassured her with his famous grin and that confident look in his eyes that charmed her the first time she met him. She still didn't understand what Naruto was trying to say until, "Tsunade-baa-chan made sure I'm going on the mission too, isn't that great!"

Expecting to get another hug from the Hyuuga, Naruto was caught off guard when she fainted, falling into his arms. He just shrugged, asked Ichiraku to put his and her bowls in carry-out cups, and paid for them before carrying Hinata, bridal style (he didn't want the villagers to think he was doing anything like kidnapping the Hyuuga heiress), to the Hokage Tower.

vvv

Naruto entered Tsunade's office to see Shikamaru and an oddly dressed girl in an intense game of chess, while Sakura and Tsunade were whispering seriously to one another. Naruto just shrugged it off as a Student/Teacher thing, and walked over to one of the chairs in the office to put Hinata in. When they noticed Naruto; Sakura and Tsunade both grew a knowing smile on their face as they looked at each other with conspiratorial (big word!) glances in unison. Naruto looked up in time to see the glance and could easily tell something was up. Unfortunately for him, he could not figure out what that was.

vvv

When Zelda and Shikamaru first arrived, Tsunade had started throwing a fit:

"Dammit, Naruto! That kid's probably trying to be late, just to piss me off!"

"Don't worry, Hokage-sama. It's okay if it takes your ninjas a little while to arrive, I need a little more time to rest." Zelda was as respectful as ever, but Tsunade didn't want Naruto to ruin Konoha's reputation.

"Tsunade-sensei, it'll be alright!" Sakura saw that her teacher wasn't going to calm down any time soon and decided to explain her reasoning, "He's with Hinata, so I'm sure they'll be here soon. And besides, it wouldn't hurt to let him spend a little time with her…"

"Oh yeah, that's right. :sigh: Knowing Naruto, it won't matter how much time we give him."

"Well, I don't think that he'll realize the way Hinata feels just yet, but it's a step in the right direction."

"Not just Hinata's feelings, but his own as well. This morning, when I mentioned who his teammates would be, I told him it would be you and Hinata."

"So that's why he spontaneously decided to go get her. Wait I'm going on a mission?"

"Just to keep an eye on Naruto, I'll explain in a sec. The point was I never mentioned Hinata's entire name. I just said 'Hina'."

"Hmm, I don't know, maybe you're reading into this too much, sensei."

"Or maybe we should give him a little push, reinforced with Tsunade-size strength to ensure its success!"

"I'm not entirely sure about Naruto's feelings, but I'm all for playing hookup! You've got something in mind, Tsunade-sensei?"

Shikamaru took Sakura and Tsunade's distraction as a chance to get to know their client better... by challenging her to a game of Chess. To be honest, our little genius was having a very troublesome game. He's never lost, but this foreigner was proving to be difficult. He was starting to understand just how troublesome this mission was going to be.

Zelda was having just as much trouble on her end, but she didn't show it. She just kept a smirk plastered across her face, attempting to faze Shikamaru into making a move that he would regret. Unfortunately for her, that was not the case.

"I'm not going to lose, Shikamaru."

"I won't let a girl beat me."

"One of us is lying."

"Lies are troublesome."

Their game continued even as Naruto came in carrying Hinata. Tsunade and Sakura looked up and took their glance before Tsunade called Naruto over.

"You're late." She took on a serious face that showed no hint of her earlier conversation.

"Sorry, but I couldn't get here any faster. If I tried to run people might have-"

"Did I ask for an excuse? Regardless of your reason, Konoha's reputation is suffering." I should mention that Tsunade isn't really mad.

"That's not fair!"

"As punishment, you will not be allowed to take ramen on this mission… and they don't sell ramen in Hyrule." Here's the feint, Tsunade doesn't really know if they sell ramen in Hyrule or not.

"NO RAMEN!? That's cruel, unusual, unfair, and just plain FUCKED UP!" Check.

"Would you rather take an alternate punishment, that's even worse?" The setup.

"YES! Anything! Nothing could be worse than no ramen on a mission! NOTHING!" Checkmate.

"Alright, for the period of this mission, you will not be allowed to bring any sleeping supplies, or anything else that might help you sleep comfortably outdoors." Eh?

"Alright, no problem! You're the best Baa-chan!"

"You'll thank me again when you get back." Wait. What just happened? I don't get it. Inner Sakura, little help here?

'**Knowing Shikamaru, he won't allow anything less than the best results on a mission so Naruto will need to find a way to earn a goodnight's sleep. Hinata will see this opportunity and I will make sure she takes it. One way or the other, Hinata is going to be sleeping with Naruto. Boo yah!' **Brilliant Sakura. '**Thank you. I'm just surprised Naruto fell for it.'** Are you really? '**Never mind.'**

"Alright, wake Hinata. With Naruto's punishment settled, the mission briefing can begin. Shikamaru… Shikamaru… Shikamaru!" Tsunade tried to get Shikamaru's attention, but to no avail. He and Zelda were too involved in their match to pay much attention to anything else. "Never mind, I'll do it myself…

vvv

"Stalemate!" Zelda yelled angrily.

Shikamaru just stared at the two lonely king pieces on the board with an annoyed expression, "Troublesome."

"Well, maybe neither of us lied." Zelda grudgingly admitted.

"Whatev-" It took them a while, but Zelda and Shikamaru finally noticed the tense atmosphere within the Hokage's office.

Sakura was crying silent tears, Hinata was deep in thought, Tsunade had a look of regret, and Naruto… well, Naruto, you couldn't even see his eyes with his head tilted down like that.

'Naruto-kun…' Thought a very conscious Hinata.

"Sakura-chan, stop crying."

A stifled whimper was the only sign that Sakura had even heard Naruto.

"Sakura… I said stop!"

At Naruto's outburst, everyone turned their faces toward him, shocked, expecting the worst.

"There's no need for you to cry. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. So stop crying, Sakura," Naruto finally lifted his head to reveal determined, shock-blue eyes "because I'll make us a family again."

'Those eyes! How familiar. They remind me of him… before he lost hope.' Zelda thought as she observed her employee.

'Naruto-kun…'

At Naruto's statement, Sakura quickly embraced him. Obediently, she ceased her crying and whispered promise into his ear, "You're not alone. We'll bring Sasuke back together."

'**Touching, but you know it's a lie, right? As long as no one knows about me, you are always alone, unless you count little old me.**'

'Shutup. Not now.'

vvv Hinata's POV vvv

Dear Diary-chan,

I know it's early, but I'm going on a mission tonight. Zelda, our client, said that we were to leave when the sun is down and that we need as much rest as we can get before then. And I always write out my thoughts of the day so I don't have bad dreams, so here I am! Oh and guess who's on my team… Naruto!

Naruto's back! I was so surprised when I first saw him that I tackled him off his seat at Ichiraku's! How embarrassing that was! Then, to find out I was going on a mission with him, I couldn't help but faint. Don't worry; he carried me to the Hokage's Tower! Today was such a good day! It didn't last, though.

When Hokage-sama gave us our mission briefing, she revealed that Sasuke-san was the target. It didn't take long for the mood to get tense. Naruto-kun saved the day, though. His determined words brought back memories. They also brought Sakura-chan into his arms… It's alright! I'm happy for Naruto-kun; he's had his eye on Sakura-chan since before I can remember. Besides, I'm sure he'll be able to tell her his secret. Oh no, I better go to bed now. Good night… or good afternoon?

Chapter1: Enter: Triforce of Energy! Fin

AN: Yosh! I'm done! Alright, let's get straight to business…

Quote Note: The keyword in this quote is 'Sheikah'. This, obviously, is a hint that I do not intend to further explain. Probably because I have no idea why I put it there.

Important Note! The main reason I redid this chapter was for a simple word filter… but things got complicated. Oh well, can't be helped. For now, I'll say that from now on, the word 'Hope' will only be mentioned once a chapter (excluding ANs). I refuse to elaborate.

Though, I'll be happy to reply to any non-quote questions (unless you think that the quote question is important or 'vague' enough).

- Kuso, How Mendokusē -


	2. Emo Hero

AN: I couldn't help it. I know I should be writing the fourth chapter, but while I was rereading what I had already written, I was compelled to clean this one up. I know a lot of my writing needs work, and there are several nuisances everywhere, but I can't just go on and update. I get that nagging feeling that I've forgotten something really important. So, here's to getting rid of that!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Zelda

"I overheard this…  
They say that the Kokiri are always followed by small fairies."

- Gossip Stone

Chapter2: Emo Hero

'**Pause**.' At that simple thought, the air itself seemed to freeze in place.

The thought was elicited from a peculiar fifteen year old boy, who looked very much like an overgrown Kokiri without a fairy. His clothing and equipment consisted of a green tunic, leather gauntlets, weathered boots, white tights, and the traditional green cap which sat on his unruly blond hair. His physical appearance gave away signs of adolescent aging: from his sharpening features to his growing sense of maturity which one could observ in the frozen sea of his eyes. His name was Link.

Although Link had provoked the spell, it was apparent he was not allowed mobility amid Pause. His dark eyes stared, unmoving, at a pair of posters in Hyrule Castle Town's usually bustling, but now completely silent, market square.

'Two more chains to my damned fate… why can't somebody else do it?'

'_Because you're the Hero of Time,' _An annoyingly high-pitched voice answered back, he ignored it and continued his poster staring.

Bounty Reward: 1 million rupees  
Name: Sasuke Uchiha  
Alias: none  
Appearance: male; mid-teens; black eyes and hair; pale complexion; about six feet; typical shinobi attire  
Required Condition: captured and unconscious  
Reason for Bounty: required for interrogation  
Specialties: high ranking shinobi techniques  
Whereabouts: unknown  
Associates: unknown  
Warnings: Extremely dangerous culprit. His specific abilities as a ninja are unknown, but are varied and well practiced. Assume he is not working alone.

'This is the one that's been asking around about the Hero of Time?' It was more of a statement. 'Oh well, can't be any worse than anyone I've faced so far.'

Link took in the second wanted poster in sight:

Bounty Reward: 200 rupees  
Name: Unknown  
Alias: Black Mage  
Appearance: Under five feet; red eyes; 'living shadow;' pointed and tall black hat; black robes; black staff  
Required Condition: Dead or Alive  
Reason for Bounty: Attacking and killing passerby around Hyrule Field.  
Specialties: expert fire magic  
Whereabouts: has been spotted randomly throughout Hyrule Field  
Associates: The Black Mage does not appear to be in his right state of mind. Possible allies are doubtful.  
Warnings: Wide array of destructive, as well as defensive, fire spells. Knowledge of water elemental spells is advisable.

'Dead or Alive, huh? Makes it that much easier. If he really uses his fire spells that much, then I can make quick work of him with my Mirror Shield. **Unpause**.' With that, Hyrule Castle Town jumped back to life.

'Random attacks throughout Hyrule Field? I think Malon would let me stay at her ranch. If I need to search Hyrule Field, why not start in the middle?' Done gathering information, Link found no more reason to stay in such a lively place.

vvv

Once Link was in Hyrule Field, he equipped his Mirror Shield and his Gilded Sword so that he would be prepared for any possible attack from the 'Black Mage'. The Sun was beginning to set, and Link's destination was a full day's walk from Hyrule Castle Town. So he began to set up camp.

He laid a perimeter of traps that consisted of arrows, string, and well placed bombchus that would alert Link to any intruder's presence and direction. Part of Link's life as a bounty hunter was knowing how to become a target. If the bounty really was proficient in fire magic, than Link's heat sensitive traps would pick up on the intruder quickly. Link drifted off to sleep, hoping he was an all-too-tempting target in the eyes of his unsuspecting prey

ēēēēēēēēēē

Link's eyes fluttered open to reveal he was lying on his back in a cathedral. Not just any cathedral: the Temple of Time. He sat up and surveyed his surroundings. Everything was the way it should be: benches in one piece, red carpet leading up to an alter that held three extremely valuable stones. The Door of Time was open, exposing an empty pedastal, the only out of place object. The Pedestal of Time should have held the legendary 'Blade of Evil's Bane'.

Link walked past the alter, through the Door of Time, and right up to the empty place-holder. As he drew closer a blue light appeared directly in front of the Master Sword's pedestal. A blue light very similar to the one that had appeared right after Link had defeated a Temple Guardian. The only difference about this light, was its dimness. Link could easily see through it. The old light was almost impossible to see past, it was too bright.

Upon closer inspection, Link saw a little boy of about ten, lying on his back within the circle of pale blue light. The hero already knew the boy's identity, but as the light faded, his suspicions were confirmed. There, sleeping on the stone floor, was Link at age ten. Right after he had just done the impossible. Strange enough, Young Link was transparent.

He was wearing the traditional Kokiri tunic, and the only visible portions of his equipment were his Kokiri Shield, Kokiri Sword, and Goron Bracelet. The missing 'Blade of Evil's Bane' could be observed in his firm grip if it were not as transparent as its wielder. Adult Link merely stared at his younger self with a bored expression, as if this wasn't the first time he had watched himself sleep.

Young Link's cap wavered slightly, catching the adult's attention, and not a moment later, a fairy flew out. Adult Link recognized his old friend, Navi, but his bored expression remained firm. She was hovering just over Young Link's face shouting at the top of her lungs in an attempt to wake the Kokiri child.

"Hey! Get up! We're back, Link! You're ten again!"

Hearing the calls of his fairy guardian, Young Link's eyelids slowly forced themselves open, revealing midnight blue eyes with a unique sparkle. They were like the night sky out in the country where billions of stars shine brightly, piercing darkness with every twinkle. He smiled.

"Cut it out, Housefly! I just beat the 'Unstoppable Dark Lord' without so much as breaking a sweat! I think I deserve some rest."

"Damn it, Link! Have some sense! You know damn well we both almost _died_ back there! That 'Dark Lord' shouldn't be spoken of so lightly. He's still alive for Heaven's sake! And stop calling me Housefly!"

Young Link broke out into fits of laughter. He was sure Navi was pouting, with her arms crossed, behind her fairy light. Seeing that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon, Navi hovered back and flew forward as fast as she could into Young Link's skull.

"HAHA- OW! Hey what was that for… _'mother'._ "

"Damn it, never mind, you're hopeless!"

Navi was both frustrated and relieved for her young charge. Half irritated that he was acting carelessly, and half glad that he was still his usual, happy self. Yes, he had lost his childlike innocence and began to mature a little earlier than most, but he didn't let his ordeals drive him insane. He was very strong mentally and emotionally, and his courage was matched by no other. It was that same courage that took Navi places no fairy had ever _dreamed_ (or had a nightmare) of. She was very proud of the child that now stood facing her, stupid grin and all.

"Don't call me mother either, it makes me sound old."

"But you're older than Zelda can count! And that's saying something, adding the fact that she has that legendary artifact thingy."

"Hey! That's not the point! We fairies have a much longer lifespan than you Hylians so you should call me something more like… big sister. Yeah, that's better. And have some respect for the power granted to you and Zelda by the Goddesses. At least say their name right, Tri-force!"

"Sure, whatever you say… :cough: granny. :cough:"

"Dammit, Li-!"

Navi was just about to retaliate, but at that moment she started vibrating violently. As quickly as it started, it stopped. Navi, knowing exactly what it meant, became worried.

"Link, I have to go…"

"What! Why?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back in a few days."

"…" Young Link looked hurt. He had never been without his fairy since she first became his guardian. Navi leaving so suddenly, after all they had been through, was bound to affect the Hero of Time somehow.

"Really! Look, I'll even bring a gift of sorts. Trust me, you'll love this one."

"…Okay okay, but what am I supposed to do?" He didn't want to be alone. Loneliness was Link's one true fear. He was lucky he had Navi since she never left his side.

"Just wait at Hyrule Castle. I'm sure Zelda will allow you to stay there for a while. Even if nobody remembers the second timeline, she should still be waiting to hear word from you."

"Wait. How much time has passed?"

"Just a month since you first lifted the Master Sword from its pedestal. That should be enough time for Zelda to have received word that Ganondorf has 'suddenly' disappeared, and for her to have decided it was safe to return home. I'm pretty sure she's worried about what has happened to you."

"Alright then, hurry up and go already. And you better come back, ya hear!"

Adult Link had been leaning against a wall listening emotionlessly as his memory/dream played on. It was nothing new to him, so why should he care?

"Don't worry! I'll be back, I promise!" The fairy yelled over her 'shoulder' as she flew to a nearby window.

At that last statement, Adult Link's ice cold, sea blue eyes welled up with restrained tears. Young Link, oblivious to the teary-eyed adult version of himself, just walked up to the Pedestal of Time, still gripping the weary Master Sword.

"Time to let you rest." Young Link whispered as he shoved the legendary blade into the pedestal, allowing it to get much needed sleep. As soon as the Master Sword was set in place, its transparency was no more. Adult Link took a moment to observe the solid blade and his younger self (still transparent) before he heard a young woman's voice…

ēēēēēēēēēē

"Hey! Link! Get up sleepy head!"

"What? Na-?" :bop!:

Link's eyes shot open at the slight impact to his head. He surveyed his surroundings to find the sun was up, his traps were still set, there was an apple rolling away from him, and some redhead was waiting at the edge of his camp with their hands on their hips.

"C'mon, Fairy Boy, I could use your help!" Malon.

"Stop calling me that."

"What? You never minded before… What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. What do you want?" By now, Link was fully awake and had started cleaning up.

"Whoa. Attitude problem. Link, tell me the truth, what's the matter?"

Malon had been Link's friend ever since his first visit to her father's ranch five years ago. So it was natural for her to be worried about Link's behavior.

"I said _I'm fine_, drop it and tell me what you need."

"…" She stood, hands still on hips, biting her lip.

"…" Link was staring back at her with the same bored look he wore in his dream.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Malon…"

"Yes!"

"Do you have a hearing problem?"

Malon crossed her arms and started pouting. Then she got an idea, "You know, a little Lon Lon Milk'll probably fix ya right up!"

'Yep, hearing problems.'

"C'mon, Link! We can go get some right now! I was going to ask you to escort me to the ranch anyway so you can consider the milk as payment."

'Cheapskate too.'

"Hurry up, Fairy Boy, I don't got all day!"

Link's eye twitched slightly at the nickname, but he knew better than to complain.

vvv

Now, Malon's idea of 'escorting' was forcing Link to pull the carriage in place of her horse in order to give it a rest. The carriage contained several crates full of empty Lon Lon Milk bottles from Hyrule Castle. So while Link was pulling the monstrosity, Malon was riding her horse in circles around him, and every time he would complain she would tell him that he should consider it 'hero training.'

'Hero training my ass.'

Fortunately for Link's mood, the ranch came in sight late afternoon. On the other hand, Malon's father, Talon, was awake for once. Although the ranch owner was rarely up and about, it never meant good for our young hero. It was always either teasing or random ranch stories, both of which, Link could do without.

"So what do you think of Malon, Link my boy? No wait, I already know what you're thinking: 'Malon has grown into a fine young woman and she would make a perfect future wife!' BOHAHAHA!" Today would be teasing.

'Shit, need to change the subject, quick. **Pause**.'

The portly ranch owner laughing heartedly in front of Link suddenly… quit laughing. In fact, he quit moving altogether. Taking advantage of his time, Link scanned the room for something he could use. Their house hadn't changed since Link's last visit. In fact, it hadn't even changed from Link's _first_ visit.

'Not even a new cucco.'

In the past, Link would look toward Ingo and ask if there was anything he could help with, but for some reason the grumpy ranch hand wasn't around.

'Wonder what happened to him? In the alternate timeline he took over the ranch because he was tired of doing all the work. He was only able to do so with Ganondorf's help, though. Now that Ganondorf is out of the picture, maybe he just quit? **Unpause**.'

"Where's Ingo?"

"Funny thing, really." Malon had just returned from putting the horse in the stables and parking the wagon out front. "He quit."

"…"

"…"

"And?"

"_At-ti-tude!_ Link, ya sure nothing's wrong with ya?"

"You're the one that said it was funny."

"I did?"

"Never mind. So why did he quit?"

"Something about not being able to stand us anymore, imagine that."

'Why did I even ask?'

"Anywayz, our new stable hand is much more fun! You should meet her Link."

"That's alright."

"What!? You _love_ meeting new people! That's it! I'm not gonna stop 'til you're all better! You're going to meet her right now!"

"That's what you think. Fortunately for me, you don't really think much."

"FAIRY BOY! If you don't march your ass to the stables this instant! I'll… I'll… STOP TALKING TO YOU FOREVER AND EVER!"

"So… I'll be going to bed now. Night."

"Oh, no you don't!"

"Oh, yes I will."

"No you won't!"

"Yes I will."

"You will not!"

"Yes… I will."

"…"

'Not good.'

ēēēēēēēēēē

So Link was heading to the stables, completely devoid of any sleep. He would just have to get that later. For now, his attention was focused on meeting this new stable hand to get a certain fiery redhead off his back… literally. Malon forced Link to give her a piggyback ride, by clinging onto him unmercifully, until he was done meeting Lon Lon's newest employee.

ēēēēēēēēēē

'Not good.'

Famous last thoughts? Well famous last thoughts before Miss Lon Lon took the reins (cap) of our little hero and began yelling obscenities such as "Ride the wind, Bullseye! Yeehaa!"

"Hihi! Now try going to bed! Dad will never leave you alone if you sleep with me, _fairy boy_!"

A quick glance at the hairy ranch owner who was having fits of laughter on the floor and Link was on his way.

'Might as well get it over with. Damn Lon Lons, maybe it's something they put in their milk?'

vvv

:Bop!:

Link shook his head to clear his vision after yet another slight impact to his skull.

"What was that for?"

"Quit stalling and go meet our new stable hand!"

":mumble: Demon child… :mumble:"

"What was that?!"

"Hey, wait out here."

"What?"

"You can only make one first impression, and I don't think I want to start it out with you on my back."

"Oh! Alright, but I'm going to be waiting right out here so don't try anything funny!"

"Yeah, yeah."

vvv

With that, Link opened the stable door and walked in. Something was off, but he wasn't sure what. She wasn't very easy to miss. Among the sea of electric pink that was her hair, there stood out a blue hair band that matched her clear blue eyes perfectly. Other than the eyes and hair band, she was entirely pink. From her short her, through the cotton candy pink tunic, and down to her dark pink boots. Really, if anyone had missed her, they couldn't have been visually capable, let alone called themselves a bounty hunter.

The girl was giving Link an intense sense of déjà vu. Recovering from his slight shock, Link crossed the stables at a slow pace, trying to figure out just where he could have met her.

'Maybe I know her from the alternate timeline?'

The closer Link got, the more he noticed. She was more on the short side, she wore no makeup, and she was humming some happy-go-lucky tune that stirred Link's sense of déjà vu to a frustrating point.

"Hey, farm-girl!"

She obviously hadn't noticed Link's approach, the apparent shock in her azure eyes gave away as much. She must have been shocked even more after finding out who was calling her because, well, people don't really gasp without a reason.

"Link…" She spoke softly, but Link caught it, instantly recognizing the voice even though he wasn't able to pin the name that went along with it.

"Have we met before?"

"Oh no! Malon's just talked about you… a lot."

":sigh: She talks too much. What's your name?"

"I-it's… Sar-Sarah." For some inconceivable reason, the girl had a faint blush lighting her cheeks. Link wasn't blind.

"What has Malon been telling you?" Link asked with a little hostility.

"Oh, a couple of stories about your visits..." 'I probably shouldn't mention that I was the one asking…'

Link gave Sarah a suspicious glare, 'She definitely isn't telling me everything. Whatever, it was probably some embarrassing story Malon made up.' "Well, nice to meet you Sarah." He held out his right hand waiting for her to shake it.

'Okay, what now?' She stared, confused, at his outstretched limb as if she had never seen one before.

"Your new in Hyrule, aren't you?"

'Oh no!' "Uh, yeah…" 'Please don't figure me out…'

"You're supposed to grab my hand and shake it. It's a common Hylian greeting."

"Oh, um… like this?" She took his hand in hers and started waving it violently left and right. The reaction brought back a couple of Link's memories.

'Just like my first visit to Hyrule Castle Town. Then again, I had come from the only place in Hyrule that didn't practice traditional customs: Kokiri Forest.' Link's expression seemed to soften, if only slightly. "No, no. Here." Link corrected her.

At Link's gentle touch, the mysterious Sarah turned a shade that could match her current outfit. The blush effectively singled out her eyes, which looked extremely familiar to our hero. After a second's hesitation, Link not only caught himself staring, he also noticed that they were still holding hands. He quickly pulled back.

"Whatever, I need to get some sleep."

"Oh, okay." She whispered, suddenly a little on the tense side.

Not a second after his departure, Sarah's tunic vibrated and two spheres of white light shot out exerting… frustration? Sarah, like a reprimanded child, suddenly took on a shameful expression, bowing her head.

"Sorry…" She whispered.

vvv

Link was anything but at peace. He knew he was going to need his rest for the next day, but the 'familiar' stable hand was forcing his mind to work overtime. He knew he wasn't going to get sleep until he figured out this little puzzle.

'Damn Malon! Why couldn't I have just met her in the morning?'

'_Hello! Because she's stubbornly persistent when she's worried about her friends.' _The annoyingly high pitch, little girl's voice reminded Link of an alarm clock going off early.

'Shut up, no one asked you.'

'_What? Who else could you be talking to?'_

'The question was rhetorical, smartass.'

'_Hey! I'm not the one with the sulky attitude!'_

'Shut it.'

'..._'_

'…'

'_So, who do you think she is?'_

'If I knew that I wouldn't be up, talking to myself.'

'_Stop calling me that, it sounds like we're crazy.'_

'Then what do I call you?'

'_Ivan! I don't know why, but I like that name.'_

'Ivan? That's a boy's name isn't it?'

'_Well no one asked you! Now, back to the matter at hand: Pinky's HOT!'_

'What?! That has nothing to do with anything we've just said!'

'_I know, and her melons aren't as big as Malon's, but she has that _Apple Booty_ I've been hearing so much about!'_

'Apple Booty?'

'_You know, girls with a-'_

'NEVER MIND!'

'_Well, to be honest, I don't really know what an Apple Booty is, but I have come to certain logical conclusions! I'm pretty sure that the 'Apple' is referring to the shape of the girl's a-!'_

As if on queue, a new light was flickering through the only window on the first floor. Ending his conversation with Ivan, Link took a peak outside only to see that a fire had

somehow started in the middle of the range. Common sense told Link that he needed to hurry and prevent it from spreading.

'**Pause. Equip. Unpause.**'

And just as quickly as Peter Parker switches to his alter ego 'Spider Man', Link was able to change into… well 'Link in a red tunic'! You know, heat resistant? Whatever. Link quickly shot out the front door (waking several cuccos in the process), and hurried toward the range. What he saw there wasn't what he had expected at first, but it didn't really surprise him either.

Standing in the middle of a circle of controlled fire was a short figure carrying a long stick. A black staff to be more precise, with a pointy black hat to match. In fact, that was his only color. Everything from his clothing to his skin was so black, he wouldn't have been visible to the naked eye, at this time of night, were it not for the unnatural fire surrounding him. The only other color were his white eyes that were giving off an eerie glow, adding to the demonic aura the mage was giving off.

He just stood stock still as Link approached, seemingly glaring at the disturbance. Link pulled out his Gilded Swored, and in a show of disinterest, he laid it across his right shoulder.

"What's your name?" Link was just a little curious.

"…" The mage made no motion to appear as if he had even heard.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" Link shouted, pointing his weapon, with his right hand, at the fire mage to make it clear who he was talking to.

"…"

"I don't have time for this, let's just finish this." Link charged toward the center of the range, blade trailing behind him in his right hand.

"…"

vvv

Sarah woke up in the middle of the night. Being a stable hand, she slept in the storage tower at the back of the ranch. It was either that or the stables. So Sarah easily heard the violent noises coming from the range just outside. Curious as anyone, she left the security of the stone building and out to the fence of the corral, where she had a decent vantage point of the fight developing in front of her.

"He's fast!" She whispered in awe.

She saw Link and the mage in a duel of sorts. Link was quick and accurate, and it wasn't helping the mage much with Link's obvious size advantage over him. It looked like Link was going to finish the fight quickly. The only surprising things about the mage were his staff, which seemed to be able to endure the sharp of edge of Link's blade, and the fact that the mage wasn't using any visible spells yet.

Sarah, along with everyone in Hyrule, was able to recognize the mage because of the signature hat. She assumed the hat enhanced a mage's magical properties. Just thinking about it made Sarah worry for Link. Then again, it might be that the mage _couldn't_ use spells because of Link's speed. Still, the feeling stayed and only worsened when she saw the mage split his staff in two… then light it on fire.

No wonder it was so huge! The two flaming sticks the mage now held were each about the size of a knight's sword. Fortunately, Link was no amateur. He was still holding his own in the duel, though they were about even now. It was then she saw it. The sight of it made her smirk. What was it? A simple motion really. Using his signature spin attack to create some space, Link took advantage of the borrowed time and switched hands.

'I can't believe the bastard made me worry like that!'

Link was left-handed. So the mere motion of Link switching his sword from his right to his left was actually rather significant. Sarah could only guess that Link was testing the mage's abilities. That or he was just having fun. As Link charged for a second time, the mage looked slightly confused. Once Link began his assault, however, the mage understood that he was in trouble.

Quickly reconnecting his staff, ceasing the flames, the mage shoved the bottom end into the ground causing a sphere of fire to erupt from the point. The sphere spread quickly engulfing the grass, but leaving the caster unharmed.

vvv

Link knew the spell.

'Din's fire?! How the hell does he know _that_ spell?'

Despite his shock, Link reacted quickly by jumping back several spaces, knowing the fire would dissipate at a certain distance.

'He probably wants a ranged fight, the bastard.'

Pulling out his arrows, Link shot several arrows in quick succession while running a wide circle around his target. The mage reacted by repeating the earlier spell. This time, though, the sphere of fire stopped once its caster was completely surrounded. Once it stopped, the fire intensified to a point that the mage wasn't visible. The mages counter wasn't extremely quick, but the distance between him and Link bought him the required time. Once the arrows reached the mage, they disintegrated into ashes before they could go through.

'How can he control Goddess magic like that?' Link was vexed.

Once the flame-shield was down, the mage immediately began his counter. Pointing his staff at his opponent, the mage quickly shot several balls of flame toward Link in such a way that it would have been impossible to dodge. Even though Link had his Goron tunic on, he doubted it would be able to withstand Goddess magic. Acting upon an earlier thought, Link pulled his Mirror Shield in front of him and blocked the offending projectiles. Unfortunately, the shield rejected the flame instead of absorbing it like Link had been counting on.

In the past, Link was able to absorb elemental magic into his shield to limitless proportions. Once Link was happy with the supply of magic within his shield, he shot back the spell with a multiplied force. It did cost Link a chunk of his magic, but it was usually a one-hit kill.

'I'll just have to come up with another tactic. **Pause**.'

Link checked his equipment looking for inspiration.

'Boomerang, bombs, bombchus, longshot, magic beans, bottles of water, ice arrows, megaton hammer… Oh!'

Link remembered a neat little trick he had learned on his way home from Termina. He knew it would come in handy in dungeons, but he never really imagined using it in a fight.

'It would be a good defense though. **Unpause**.'

"Nayru's Love!" It was a costly spell, but he only needed a moment's cover from the mage's continuing assault.

Without missing a beat, Link pulled out a bottle of water and flung the contents in front of him, simultaneously pulling out an arrow and charging it with ice magic. Letting the arrow fly the short distance between him and the water, Link watched, partially amazed as a giant, life-size ice cube formed in front of him. Even if he had done it before, it's still amazing what a little water and Goddess magic can do.

Link was expecting his ice cube to melt, given a few hits, but that's all the time Link needed. Well, that and leverage. Using the ice cube as a stepping stone, Link leaped high into the air simultaneously beginning his aerial assault on the Black Mage.

'Time to fight a little fire with fire.'

vvv

Sarah's first feeling of awe quickly evolved into amazement and suspension as the small war continued in front of her. She was so amazed she didn't even notice a stray fire ball heading her way until a little tinkle in her tunic brought her back to reality. She dodged with rather quick reflexes for a ranch hand and continued watching the battle, undisturbed.

She loved Link's ice cube trick, but her anxiety got the best of her when she saw Link jump into the air unguarded. It didn't help when she saw him casting a fire spell similar to the mage's. The only difference was the shape of the flame. Link's fire barrage was more like fire _rain_, long narrow strips of fire shooting down at his opponent.

'Link! He's a _fire _mage! Don't you think he'd be able to defend against that!?' Screaming in her head surely wasn't helping.

She just couldn't watch, but she did anyway. The fire mage raised his left hand into the air and formed a square of fire (not a cube) just above his head, probably attempting to use it like an umbrella. At the same time, the mage began charging a fire attack at his staff's tip, ready to unleash once Link landed. Sarah could only panic as she saw Link's attack fail to break through the mage's barrier, but was surprised to see the mage had cancelled his spell. And she almost went into shock from relief when she saw the mage fall to his knees.

Curious as to how the mage met his demise, she squinted her eyes to get a clearer look. She noticed several thin sticks sticking out of the magician's body: arrows.

vvv

Of course Link knew Goddess fire magic would cancel with Goddess fire magic. He was counting on that fact to support his attack. Once he let his fire arrows fly, he was expecting the fire surrounding his arrows to cancel out whatever fire defense the mage came up with, leaving the arrows a free path to their target.

The next arrow Link pulled out was his favorite. The light arrow's abilities were amazing. Extremely powerful and intensely pure, a light arrow gave the user the ability to determine whether their kill was of a good or evil heart. No matter what happened, if someone were to get hit with that arrow, they'd die, but it would take a minute.

First the arrow would paralyze the victim with light magic, leaving them harmless. If they were of an evil heart, their own darkness would attempt to reject the light from the arrow, causing intense pain to be their last memory. If they were of a pure heart, their soul would accept the light, easing all the pain from their wounds, giving a sense of euphoria for _their_ last memory. Of course, it would also give them that last minute to explain themselves to their noble opponent, or give out their dying wish.

Link loved the light arrow. It relieved him of so much guilt and dealt out the justice whenever necessary. But Link hadn't counted on the pain this one would give him. How could he know that when the arrow pierced its target, it would dispel a shadow spell, revealing a little girl in a mage's robes and long red hair flowing out of an oversized hat. Once her skin was penetrated, the little girl fell on her side, paralyzed for the last minute of her life.

Her pale blue eyes were filled with… relief? But her eyes weren't enough to ease Link's heart. The image in front of Link would never leave him. Even though she wasn't screaming in pain, it only intensified Link's guilt.

Chapter2: Emo Hero Fin

Quote Note: Before anyone asks, no, my quotes will not be entirely Gossip Stone based. There will be several others inputting a quote here and there. And also, if anyone knows a cool quote or two (from Naruto or Zelda), it'd be cool if you'd share it. If I like it or just run out of quotes, I'll put it up. Thanks.

Okay, now to actually get to this chapter's quote, this one is simple. Link doesn't have his fairy, which means a lot to him.

Ok, _now_ I'll get started on that chapter four. Sorry guys, expect it to be up soon!

- Kuso, How Mendokuse -


	3. War of the Worlds

AN: **I will herby type my author notes in bold. Because, as I so accurately state in my legend, bold equals dominating presence. And I am soooo a dominating presence… **Well, I can dream. Whateverz, I've held this chapter off for far too long, so here it is.

Warning: You may or may not find this chapter slightly confusing. What with the time zone differences between Hyrule and Konoha and the fact that I suck at description, you may or may not have to read a couple of times. It probably doesn't help that I don't have a beta reader and I don't like to edit my own writing much. Oh well, can't be helped. Don't hurt yourself over the confusing parts, they're not that important.

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned the creative rights to Zelda and Naruto.

"Time passes, people move...

Like a river's flow, it never ends...

A childish mind will turn to noble ambition...

Young love will become deep affection...

The clear water's surface reflects growth...

Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself..."

- Sheik

Chapter3: War of the Worlds (Venus vs. Mars)

Marble, onyx, and stone: The past was set, solid as ice, never to be rewritten. Ruby, sapphire, and emerald: The present is ever-changing, fluid as water, no two moments are identical. Gold, silver, and cobalt: The future brings hope, cloudy as vapor, a dream turn reality. The Temple of Time stands as the only tribute to the unstoppable element.

Within stood but one young man, whose dark midnight eyes betrayed no feelings as they sighted gold, silver, and cobalt. He wore a loose, beige kimono that revealed a slight proportion of toned chest and was tucked into baggy, black pants. The outfit seemed to be held together by a thick rope that was tied around his waist and looped at the side. The samurai look was incomplete, however, as he was missing the traditional Japanese weaponry. Perhaps he was seeking to acquire 'gold, silver, and cobalt' to wield as his weapon?

Unfortunately, the legendary Master Sword could only be drawn from the Pedestal of Time by the Hero of Time.

'Yes, he will be necessary.' The young Uchiha Sasuke thought. 'But he won't cooperate, I'm sure of it.'

The ninja prodigy stole a glance at a window, high up the temple's walls. Noting the position of the few stars he could see, he estimated that dawn would soon be approaching.

"Heh, I would expect you to be sleeping this early. Looks like you've finally run low on stamina and decided to take a leaf out of Shikamaru's book. Not that I blame ya, it can be pretty boring in Konoha, ne? Whatever, I should get to the point: Come to Hyrule. Help me with my objective and, in exchange, you'll finally be able to keep that promise you made so long ago. Don't worry, I don't _really_ need your help, I'm just curious to see how strong you've gotten. You better not forget this when you wake up, dobe."

**vvv**

-Beep!-Beep!-Beep!-

The blaring contraption rang throughout the one-room apartment in an attempt at waking the room's only occupant. A bundle of blankets that lay on the floor began to stir until an arm shot out in search of the offensive contraption. It found, instead, a wire that was apparently attached to the alarm clock.

"Gotcha!" The victorious voice was somewhat muffled by the blankets.

Pulling the wire a little too aggressively, the overzealous limb had succeeded in shutting the alarm's relentless noise, but it wasn't over. The device flew toward the bundle at a surprising speed and connected. The bundled blankets were immediately thrown through the air as they revealed a glaring Naruto in his pajamas, penguin hat and all.

"You win this time, Timex!" The blonde-haired, whisker-faced teen yelled while pointing at the source of his frustration.

"**This isn't the time to be arguing with a clock, boy!**"

"The clock started it…"

"**I don't care who started- wait, IT'S A CLOCK you idiot. Never mind, hurry up, you're gonna be late.**"

"Oh? You never cared if I was late before. Why's it so important now?"

"**The business of a demon does not concern you, mortal.**"

"Che, one way or another, your big mouth's gonna spill. I just have to be patient." Before the Kyubi could retaliate with some smart comment or another, Naruto focused his inner chakra to tune out the nine-tails.

**vvv**

"Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala!"

"Do princesses of other countries really act like this?" Shikamaru's voice was easily recognized by the Hyuuga heiress.

"LALALALALALALALALA!"

The princess and the genius slowly came into view and Hinata couldn't help but giggle. Zelda was sticking her fingers in her ears in an attempt at ignoring her escort. Whatever the reason, she was looking very much like a bratty child than a princess at the moment.

"How troublesome."

Hinata was sitting patiently against one side of Konoha's main gate post. She had arrived here, the meeting point, half an hour early. Her true intention was to get some alone time with Naruto under the slight chance that he, too, might have been early. Although, she probably wouldn't have known what to do with the time, had the opportunity arisen. So, fortunately or unfortunately, Shikamaru and Zelda arrived fifteen minutes before the sun officially fell below the horizon (the set time).

"What's up with those two?" It would seem that even Sakura would arrive before Naruto.

Before Hinata could respond, Shikamaru conveniently explained, "She thinks that the energy we use for jutsus is called 'magic'."

"Magic? You told her our energy is commonly accepted by ninjas worldwide as chakra, right?"

Zelda yelled in retaliation, "It is not this 'chalk-ruh' you speak of! Hylians everywhere call it magic and only a select few have the potential to use it! Look, I will show you, Shooting Star!"

Taking her fingers out her ears and holding one hand out, palm up, a red orb suddenly appeared above her hand. Waving her outstretched limb towards Shikamaru the orb flew as if magnetized by the genius ninja. Halfway towards its destination, however, Shikamaru haphazardly flung a shuriken in its direction. Upon contact, the orb was deflected and exploded harmlessly in the air above the group. Zelda looked confused.

"Oi, princess! That won't work on me. I already figured out from last night's teleportation that your chakra is in tune with the light element. Anything with a reflective surface, such as metal, will be enough to deflect your jutsu." Shikamaru's smug expression had 'checkmate' written all over it.

Zelda simply smirked, 'He's more competent than I could imagine. I'll have to be careful with what I say around this one, unless I want my secret out.' Just then Naruto rushed towards the group out of breath. Right before he reached the gate, though, he tripped and landed face first… in Hinata's lap, eliciting a deep blush from the heiress. 'Not so much those two. They seem pretty clueless at times.'

"Ano, excuse me _Harkinian-sama_. May I speak with you in private for a moment?" Sakura did her best to pronounce Zelda's formal Japanese name, but had little luck.

"Sure, Miss Haruno. But please, just call me Zelda. I'm not used to all the titles and 'Miss Harkinian' sounds too formal."

"Hai- I mean, of course, Zelda. You can call me Sakura, then. Now, as I was saying…" Sakura continued her conversation in a whisper just loud enough for the princess to hear.

Shikamaru decided it was best to listen in on them while the blushing Naruto and Hinata attempted to untangle themselves. He wasn't able to catch what Sakura was saying, but from Zelda's reply's he had a pretty good sense of the exchange.

By the end of their conversation, Zelda and Sakura had matching grins. Shikamaru could only conclude that Zelda was officially in on whatever plan Tsunade and Sakura had come up with earlier.

'Che, girls are troublesome.'

As if on cue, Zelda shouted, in a well-practiced commanding tone, orders to her ninja employees. In order for her to perform her spell/jutsu with as little complications as possible, everyone needed to lie on their backs side by side in a particular order: Sakura, Hinata, Zelda, Shikamaru, and finally Naruto (left to right).

Zelda had explained earlier that her spell would teleport them from Konoha to Hyrule in a matter of seconds. The physical bodies would be transported instantly, but the souls and minds would lag behind through the Earth (Hyrule is to Konoha as the North Pole is to the South Pole). During this process, the ninjas would feel pain, but it was merely a hallucination brought on involuntarily by their own minds. If they lay on their backs, it would be easier to ignore since their experience would feel more of falling rather than diving through the earth. All in all, even if they weren't able to ignore the false pain, there would be no lasting damage.

Zelda warned, "Alright, prepare yourselves. I'm about to cast my spell."

Just as they had planned, Sakura rolled her body on top of Hinata and hugged her. The stuttering girl could not figure, for the life of her, why Sakura would commit such a shameful act. The poor Hyuuga could only blush in shock as Sakura pressed their bodies together and whispered in her ear,

"You owe me one."

Sakura blinked and when her eyes opened royal emerald was replaced with shocking blue.

'Those are not Sakura's eyes.' Thought the Hyuuga heiress.

Naruto was just as clueless as he lay on top of Hinata in an extremely questionable position. He had no idea how his arms got around Hinata, let alone why he was on top of her. He was only sure that she would think him a pervert from now on.

'Although… this feeling _is_ kinda nice.' The Uzumaki thought.

Unfortunately, such thoughts could not be dwelled upon as Sakura's voice rang out, "Now!"

"Farore's Wind!" Zelda's spell began.

A sense of detachment and weightlessness soon followed Zelda's voice. Then, without warning… they fell.

**vvv**

The sun was just rising over the horizon as its light crept upon an unsuspecting plane. Amid the grassy plane, glitter seemed to be concentrating on a general spot a few meters wide. It snowed to the ground in a wide array of colors that most would describe as feminine. Shortly after the phenomenon began, a soft dreamlike sound drifted along the winds soothing the soul. Not a moment after, the glitter was replaced by a group of adolescents, the majority of which were laying face first in the grass.

Shikamaru and Sakura were the first to recover. Grumbling and holding a hand to his head, Shikamaru shot a glare towards the pink-haired chuunin. She avoided his gaze while focusing on a particular blade of grass.

"Sakura-san, you can't be playing your little matchmaking games when there's potential risk involved." Shikamaru scolded.

She remained shamefully silent. Sakura knew that there was some risk involved with her plan, which is why she had consulted Zelda before the teleportation. She hadn't, however, taken into account the fact that Hinata was more likely to lose concentration as a result of her plan.

Sakura's plan was simple enough: use Kawarimi no Jutsu to force Naruto into an overly comfortable position with Hinata. After the replacement technique was activated she would signal Zelda to teleport the group. That way, the spell and jutsu wouldn't interfere with each other. Unfortunately, the interference wasn't the only risk. Because Hinata lost focus (with Naruto hugging her, who could blame her?), she wasn't able to ignore the false pain. Everyone was able to hear her piercing screams throughout the entire teleportation process.

"Is she going to be okay?" Naruto had woken up.

He was the only member of the group to be lying on his back. He gently lifted Hinata's still form off his body and positioned her so that she could use his lap as a pillow. He, more than any in the group, heard her screams the loudest and he couldn't help but worry.

"Don't fret. No permanent damage will come from this. We have other problems, though." Zelda had finally regained consciousness.

She looked tired. She was shaking, sweating, and breathing heavily as if she just ran a marathon without stopping. She was trying to stand, but Shikamaru forced her back down.

"You shouldn't push yourself. It looks as if you're suffering from chakra depletion. Take a rest an-"

"I AM NOT SUFFERING FROM _JOCKERA_ DEPLETION! I merely used up too much magic. Now help me up so we can be on our way."

With a deadpan stare Shikamaru replied, "No."

"WHY THE HELL NOT!"

'Kuso, women are too troublesome.'

"Are you going to answer me any time today, Pineapple head!?"

Shikamaru's left eye began to twitch. Satisfied she found a nerve, Zelda decided she had won their little battle and remained silent.

"Magic depletion or not, you still need to rest. Besides, we need to wait for Hinata to recover so she can carry her own weight and we can move on at a normal pace. Now, what did you mean by 'other problems.'"

Crossing her arms, Zelda grudgingly admitted, "I missed."

"You missed? What's that supposed to mean."

"I MISSED HYRULE, HAPPY!? One of your ninjas was too heavy and I wasn't able to teleport in a perfectly straight line. We missed Hyrule by a couple of miles, so we need to start walking."

"No, you need to rest. We have a full day ahead of us, so don't worry about that. Now explain a bit more. We're all around the same weight, so how was one particular person 'too heavy'?"

"Physical mass and distance matter little when I cast Farore's Wind. It depends more on how much magic each individual contains. That one seems to have a much higher magic capacity than all of us." Zelda pointed at Naruto where he and Sakura were busy trying to waken Hinata.

"Oh, that would explain it."

"Not only that, he's different. He seems to be housing two types of magic: one strong and steady, the other wild and destructive."

"Hmm…" 'I may have to ask Naruto about this later.'

Just then, Hinata came to.

"Ohayo, Sunshine!" Naruto greeted.

'Is this a dream?' Waking up in Naruto's lap and having him greet her like the way he did was a new experience for Hinata. But she could definitely get used to it. "O-ohayo, Naruto-kun."

"Finally! Alright, let's go now." Zelda exaggerated.

'They were waiting on me? Oh no.' Hinata tried too quickly to stand up, but fell back onto Naruto when she discovered her legs weren't working.

"Whoa, you okay, Hinata-chan?" Naruto was genuinely concerned.

"Argh! I'm not waiting any longer-" An idea struck the princess, "Hey you, Naruto. Carry her while we walk until she can stand on her own two feet."

Zelda and Sakura exchanged a quick mischievous glance. Shikamaru was about to say something, but Zelda beat him to the punch.

"I'm not waiting any longer! So no more resting, let's move out!"

Defeated, Shikamaru sighed and agreed.

**vvv**

The group had been walking the entire day. Zelda had been explaining her people's past and the general geography of Hyrule (more for Shikamaru's benefit). Hinata was fighting the temptation to faint the entire time in Naruto's arms. In fact, every five minutes she tried to walk again, but it was obvious that the teleportation's mental pain put too much strain on her. It got to the point that Naruto told her to quit trying and to get comfortable, much to Sakura and Zelda's delight.

Nightfall had reached the traveling party, and they began to set up camp.

"This is odd; we should have reached Hyrule hours ago." Zelda stated as she watched Shikamaru set up her tent. Every now and then he would mutter something along the lines of, "troublesome women" and continue his task.

"Maybe your calculations were off by a bit, or we headed in the wrong direction?" Sakura offered. She was setting up her tent next to Zelda's.

"Impossible. I've never been wrong before."

"I highly doubt that." Shikamaru whispered.

"I HEARD THAT, PINEAPPLE HEAD!"

"That's fine by me, brat."

Zelda was infuriated. Never in her whole life could one guy piss her off as much as he did. She began to prepare Shooting Star in her hand again when, without so much as looking up, Shikamaru countered with,

"You've already tried that, princess."

Beyond pissed, Zelda gave up and sat on the ground pouting with her arms crossed.

Naruto was helping Hinata set up her tent on the other side of Zelda's. She had regained her ability to walk, but Naruto was being careful all the same. He looked over and saw Shikamaru and Zelda quarreling for the umpteenth time. This time it seemed Zelda was upset at how quickly Shikamaru finished setting up her tent. Zelda's suspicion was that he took shortcuts, several in fact. She was probably right.

Naruto looked over at Sakura and saw that she had finished as well. She was trying to calm Zelda down by offering to look over the quality of the tent. Shikamaru was now setting up his sleeping bag in front of Zelda's tent, insuring security. Naruto was probably going to have to sleep behind Zelda's tent to complete the guard.

"Ano… Naruto-kun, you didn't have to help me." Hinata's tentative voice was soft, but Naruto caught it.

"I know. I just didn't think you should force yourself too much today." Naruto flashed his confident smile, that same smile she adored so much.

"A-arigatou. H-here, I brought this along for you." Hinata gave Naruto a sleeping bag that she had packed along with her other supplies.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan, but Tsunade said I wasn't allowed-"

"I-I know, but she never said a-anything about a-anyone else packing f-for you." Naruto laughed.

"Haha! Nice catch! Thanks, it's nice to know someone's watching out for me." Hinata could merely blush at his comment.

Sakura spotted the extra sleeping bag.

"NOOOOO!"

With excessively quick reflexes, Sakura launched a kunai attached with an explosive note at the sleeping utensil. The kunai flew fast and true, snatching the bag from Hinata's gentle hands. Upon hitting the floor, the kunai along with its intended target, exploded, leaving behind no evidence that any of it existed (minus the scorch mark amongst the once-perfect plain).

"I know your intentions were probably good, Sakura-san. But don't you think that was a little overkill?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Uh… uh, I saw a poisonous snake in that bag! And… uh… it looked like it was about to bite Naruto! So I grabbed the first kunai I could! Heh heh, hahahahahahahahaha!" Her laugh was out of place.

"Oh, arigatou, Sakura-chan. I wouldn't want Naruto-kun to get hurt because of me. It's a good thing I packed anoth-" Hinata was pulling out yet another sleeping bag.

The second sleeping bag Hinata pulled out suddenly flew from her hands and exploded, much like the first. The entire group looked at Sakura confused.

"Heh heh, 'nother snake."

**vvv**

"NO, I will not share a tent with anyone!" Zelda and Sakura yelled in unison.

"How troublesome."

Shikamaru was trying to get Naruto a decent place to sleep since _someone_ destroyed his only other option (may Hinata's sleeping bags rest in peace). He had first thought of having Naruto share Zelda's tent. It would be mutually beneficial that way. Zelda would have immediate security, and Naruto would gain a place to sleep. Unfortunately, both Zelda and Sakura had claimed that a man and a woman shouldn't sleep together unless they were in a relationship.

Shikamaru then proposed that Sakura should share Zelda's tent so that Naruto could take hers. Still they resisted, claiming it 'unsanitary' for two people to sleep so close together. Trying to push his point, Shikamaru tried the 'got any better ideas' tactic, which had predictable results. It only worked in their favor that the Hyuuga girl was as nice as she was.

"Fine it's settled, Naruto and Hinata will share a tent. If that's okay with you Hinata-sama." Shikamaru turned his gaze toward the Hyuuga heiress, awaiting her reply.

"H-hai!" The shy girl nearly buckled under the inquisitive stares of her fellow females.

"Alright then, lights out!" Naruto climbed inside Hinata's tent carefree. Too tired from carrying Hinata and her load all day (along with his own) to concern himself with trivial things such as sleeping with semi-royalty.

The same could not be said for the white-eyed Hinata. The whole situation made her uneasy. It was too good to be true, but that's how she knew she would somehow mess it up.

'Calm down Hinata!' She was so nervous she even started referring to herself in the second person in her own thoughts! 'I know you've been dreaming about this moment since the day you met the guy, but have some sense! It's not like you need to do anything. Just go in there, sleep, and everything will be just fine.

'Okay… I can do this. No problem, just go in there and sleep. Simple enough.'

"Um… Hinata-chan, not that it's a big problem or anything, but you're kinda sleeping on me, heh heh." The sound of Naruto voice brought Hinata back to reality like a cold bucket of water. Well, a warm bucket of water (she loved his voice), but water none-the-less.

"G-GOMEN NASAI!" During Hinata's mind-rant, she had not been paying attention to her actions. 'Kuso! I should've known my body would take matters into its own hands! Ano… his body is so warm, though… EEP! Must-not-think-echi! Must-not-think-echi!'

Hinata began the painful process of crawling off her Naruto-kun, slowly and carefully. In her head she told herself it was because she didn't want to make herself look stupid, but in her heart she knew she just wanted to savor his warmth. Once she was completely off of Naruto they both attempted to reach sleep, one finding it easier than the other.

**vvv**

It was late into the night, and sleep still evaded Hinata. She was studying her Naruto-kun from her corner of the small tent. His breathing was even and he wasn't snoring. Something he had undoubtedly learned to do during his training. He also kept _very_ still. He slept military style, arms at his side and feet shoulder width apart. It seemed very unlike Naruto to be so professional during his sleep, but Hinata had assumed that this sleeping style probably saved his life a couple of times.

She twitched. There was this persistent itch that held no physical spot on her body to scratch. She knew very well that it had nothing to do with a bug bite or anything of the sort. In fact, the more she stared at Naruto the more it grew. Oh, she knew very well what kind of itch this was.

And there was only one way to scratch it.

Ever so slowly she began to inch her way towards the object of her affection. She didn't have to travel far. Careful not to touch him, Hinata supported her body over his with her arms on either side of his face. She stopped.

'W-what am I doing!?'

She swore her body had a mind of its own. She started leaning in, fixating a hungry glare at Naruto's lips. Bit by bit, she leaned closer and closer until they were literally sharing the same air. Then she pulled back.

'I can't do this! Too many things could go wrong! I just need to stick with my original plan.'

Hinata retreated back to her corner of the tent and tried to get some rest. But that ever-growing itch remained. Once again, she found herself inching her way to her clueless loved one. She got close enough that their sides were touching and she leaned toward him, propping her head on her elbow. Raising her free hand, tentatively, she traced the inside of his jacket with nimble fingers until she reached her destination. Once she was satisfied she rested her palm against the target, and concentrated the rest of her thoughts on the beating of his heart. Then, without warning, she fell asleep.

**vvv**

Naruto was in for a surprise when he woke up. He was trying to sit up, but he soon realized there was a small weight preventing that from happening. He looked down at his chest and noticed Hinata was using him as a pillow. If it were anyone else he probably would've woken them up, but she looked too cute in her sleep to disturb. Instead, Naruto decided to observe his surroundings.

He was in for a second surprise. Everyone's supplies were gone! No one was sleeping in tents or sleeping bags, and everyone's pouches and backpacks were nowhere in sight. Worst part was, they definitely weren't where they left their bodies to rest. Instead, they seemed to be trapped in a stone building that housed several large ice cubes. And that's exactly where they were, trapped inside a hollow ice cube.

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to wake up and for Hinata's sake, Naruto thought he better wake her up to spare her any embarrassment.

"Ohayo, Hinata-chan."

She was still embarrassed that Naruto caught her in the act, but it didn't last long when she noticed their situation. That's when Zelda gasped, grabbing everyone's attention. She was staring at the ice cube next to their's and, upon closer inspection, its captive.

He was wearing a green tunic, brown boots, and leather gloves. His cold, sea blue eyes were blank, expressionless, despite his obvious predicament. A girl in nearly all pink slept against the cube appearing as if she had stayed overnight.

"Link!" Zelda shouted.

He didn't even flinch.

Chapter3: War of the Worlds Fin

Quote Note: Slight foreshadowing.

Hmm, what to say, what to say. Um… tada! I told you Link was going to make an appearance (for those of you who read my profile).

Important Note! From now on I plan on replying to reviews via that little handy-dandy reviewer reply button that oh-so-kindly provided. So no one has to read my profile anymore! Unless you want an update on this fic's progress.

Let me see… anything else I'm missing? I'm always missing something! And then that nagging feeling is left behind and I can't ever figure out what it is. Not fair. Oh well, can't be helped. Hope you guys enjoyed. If you have a question, just send me a private message.

I think I just figured out what I was missing! Special thanks to reviewer Zelda Rockbell. Her review made me give in and post this chapter.

- Kuso, How Mendokusē -


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